[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 165 (Tuesday, October 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H10695-H10696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                KEEP UNITED STATES TROOPS OUT OF BOSNIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Blute). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. McINNIS] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, under the cover of a peace agreement in a 
country that has never known peace, Bill Clinton is about to commit 
25,000 of our sons and daughters into Bosnia. Now, that is not just 
25,000 troops into Bosnia. That really equates to a number much larger 
than that, because you have to have the support troops to support those 
20,000 or 25,000 troops that we are going to put on the ground in 
Bosnia.
  Take a look very carefully at the situation in Bosnia. We have an 
absolute responsibility to question Bill Clinton about his intent to 
put these young people into that country. We need to assess the 
situation. Is the situation in Bosnia a security threat to this 
country? That answer is easy; no. Is it a security threat to any of our 
allies? The answer is easy; no. Is it an economic threat to the United 
States of America? The answer is no. Is it an economic threat to any of 
our allies? The answer is no. If we do not go into Bosnia, will it mean 
the collapse of NORAD? No, it will not.
  How can this President justify it? Because he has made a commitment 
to this? Take a look at what the cost of Bosnia will be. We know that 
there is a very high likelihood of loss of life, and it could be my 
son. I have a son who is 18 years old. It could be your daughter or 
your son.
  Think about it before we put these troops into Bosnia, before we let 
Bill Clinton put us into a situation that has no exit strategy. We need 
to ask Bill Clinton some pretty tough questions: One, what are the 
rules of engagement, Mr. Clinton? Number two, for what purposes and 
what reasons and where will our troops be assigned? Three, how do we 
get out of there? Four, how long are we going to be in there? Have you 
made any kind of strategy as to how we are going to get out or how long 
we are going to be there?
  I would venture to say that we are woefully short of the kind of 
answers we need before we even consider supporting this President 
sending American ground troops into the country of Bosnia. I think that 
it is imperative and incumbent upon us to demand from this President 
that he be forthright  

[[Page H 10696]]

with the people of the United States of American and explain what that 
situation is. Right now he has got the cover of Medicare, he has got 
the cover of budget. While all this is going on, the Pentagon is 
buzzing away down there preparing to send these troops over to a 
country that is not a threat to this country.
  I think the test, the ultimate test that each and every one of us in 
these chambers should employ, is the test that came across to me when I 
sat at a graduation speech this last spring. An 18 year old young man 
just got his degree and walked by. The person next to me leaned over 
and said, ``We are very proud. That young man is going into the United 
States Marines.''
  At that very instant I thought to myself, could I look at his parents 
if we lose this young man in Bosnia? Could I look at his parents eye-
to-eye and tell them that the loss of their son was necessary for the 
national security of the United States of America? Could I look them in 
the eye and tell them that it was necessary to send their son over to 
Bosnia? Were we able to look them in the eye when we were over in 
Lebanon or Somalia? I venture to say before we give our support to this 
President to send those troops into Bosnia, we ought to consider what 
our response is going to be to those parents.
  Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. McINNIS. I yield to the gentleman from Mississippi.
  Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying I just 
returned from that part of the world this weekend. I had a chance to 
meet with all of our top NATO officials and to go to observation posts 
on the Serbian border.
  I am not going to disagree with anything the gentleman said. What I 
would say as a member of the minority party talking to a member of the 
majority party is I would ask that the gentleman ask the Speaker of the 
House that we be allowed to vote on this. It is our constitutional 
duty.
  Everything the gentleman said I agree with. Congress ought to vote on 
it. The gentleman and I and the other 400 Members ought to decide this 
issue, not the President of the United States.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I absolutely agree with 
the gentleman. This should not be the decision of the President of the 
United States. The President of the United States should come to the 
U.S. Congress and ask us for our permission. Frankly, I am going to be 
leading the charge against it, because while I have not been to Bosnia, 
I have an 18-year-old son.

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